Well when playing pickup I play however the team needs me to play. If we clearly have people who can handle the ball or and a perimeter oriented team, then I play down low as a center type and try to get offensive boards etc and post up. If it's the other way around then I'll handle the ball if nobody else can do it effectively... Or say we have 3 perimeter guys and a guy who like to bang down low, I'll play high post and set a lot of screens. I'm comfortable with any role because I can score from anywhere on the court. that doesn't necessarily mean I'm putting in a ton of points, I just know how to and can score from any place.

people aren't going to change their game tho so you have to adjust to them. Be proactive. It's the best way to win. If your team isn't hustling much, then get on them, but hustle your ass off to make up for it. Complaints aren't going to get you anywhere. It can be thankless and irritating at times, but a lot of the times it works out. I'm always in PG mode tho and try to get the ball to people where they can be effective, but I don't have to be the PG in order to do that. Maybe you can try an approach like that and see how it works for you, cus it seems what you are doing isn't working to well or you are frustrated by it.

so in short, be versatile.

This is my gripe, though...

The fact that I need to play the worst position in pickup basketball, regardless of anything other than the fact that I'm the tallest guy on the court.

I understand your perspective though. It's very humble and selfless. And this is how I try to play on a daily basis.

I'm just not satisfied with it, is all...

I deal with it everyday. You bust your tail grabbing boards, boxing out, posting up, defending, etc, while shorter players get to chill at the 3-pt line chucking or turning the ball over.

I'm 6'3 / 6'4 and I ****ing hate this sterotype. I'm always in a similar situation that your in except I play SG / SF but whenever I'm the tallest one, I'm forced to play in the post because everyone else is on the wing. And yes they even use "Big Man" with me.

Don't you love it when these short players who've never posted up in their lives, instruct you how to play "big?"

"Oh, you're taller than the Eiffel tower"
"You must play basketball, right?"
"Can I use you as a ladder?"

When I was younger I didn't care but when I older I started to get tired so my favorite comment for all the idiots is "Don't hate just because your head barely reaches to my dick", it always work.

I'm lucky that I play basketball so I have plenty of friends being as tall as me and I play in the Swedish basketball league and on the court I'm not even considered to be that tall so I'm ok in the end of the day, lol..

Nobody remembers the guy who gets the most rebounds. They remember the guy who scored the most baskets, regardless of whether the guy was 4 for 13. If he had the most points, he's the best player on the court. That's streetball stereotype for ya.

I beg to differ. Everybody remembers the way Rodman crashed the boards. Everyone is aware of the constant hustle/energy showed by Joakim Noah. In pickup, I always notice guys that hustle. Even if they aren't good, their hustle can change games. I always hear guys saying positive things about guys who hustle and regaurdless you are a huge pain in the ass for the other team... there are times when you are constantly working and just aren't able to get many offensive boards or make a big impact, and in that case, yes it is thankless, but the important thing is that you working hard. when you do get those boards tho, extra possessions, come up with loose balls, people really notice it... even sometimes when you don't people still notice, but it's less so. In the end you just have to ask yourself a couple questions... and the big one is "Do I really want to win and if so how can I best achieve that." For some people and maybe this is you, they go play basketball to play a certain way because that's how they want to play. Nothing wrong with that. You want to have fun playing pickup and if that's how you have fun then it is. but I know for me, I want to stay on the court, I want to win until I just don't want to play anymore... therefore I try to keep complaints to a minimum (but say things that are constructive to teammates) and work hard for the team... ya know just try to do whatever it takes. A lot of the time tho it's contagious and people feed off your energy especially if you are vocal. In the end, even if you don't win tho, if you work hard, you at least got a great workout and you build your endurance.

Accepting responsibility when others won't can be hard, but at least the ball is in your court.

I beg to differ. Everybody remembers the way Rodman crashed the boards. Everyone is aware of the constant hustle/energy showed by Joakim Noah. In pickup, I always notice guys that hustle. Even if they aren't good, their hustle can change games. I always hear guys saying positive things about guys who hustle and regaurdless you are a huge pain in the ass for the other team... there are times when you are constantly working and just aren't able to get many offensive boards or make a big impact, and in that case, yes it is thankless, but the important thing is that you working hard. when you do get those boards tho, extra possessions, come up with loose balls, people really notice it... even sometimes when you don't people still notice, but it's less so. In the end you just have to ask yourself a couple questions... and the big one is "Do I really want to win and if so how can I best achieve that." For some people and maybe this is you, they go play basketball to play a certain way because that's how they want to play. Nothing wrong with that. You want to have fun playing pickup and if that's how you have fun then it is. but I know for me, I want to stay on the court, I want to win until I just don't want to play anymore... therefore I try to keep complaints to a minimum (but say things that are constructive to teammates) and work hard for the team... ya know just try to do whatever it takes. A lot of the time tho it's contagious and people feed off your energy especially if you are vocal. In the end, even if you don't win tho, if you work hard, you at least got a great workout and you build your endurance.

Accepting responsibility when others won't can be hard, but at least the ball is in your court.

Yeah it's a funny cycle, isn't it? The good news is that most of everything on the basketball court is fun. And I play to have fun, so winning is not the end-all. But then it's kind of hard to have fun if you can't stay on the court, right?

I figure the best course of action is to do everything possible. Of course, it's easier said than done, but that's what I try to do. Playing a "wing" shouldn't limit my ability to crash the boards or help out on defense. Well I mean, sometimes it does, because I get lazy, but I continuously tell myself to not limit what I'm supposed to do.

In regards to where players should be placed during a game, I don't think it should be dependent on size. My post game is clearly and utterly inferior to any portion of my game that takes place while facing the basket. Therefore, there aren't going to be many scenarios where it's going to make sense to throw me down low to body up and shoot drop step hook shots or fallaways. Even when there's a height mismatch, I've got a better chance of hitting a pullup 15 footer over the shorter defender than I do of being able to properly handle my business in the post. It's a shortcoming in my game, but I acknowledge it, and everyone else seems to understand it just as well. Even when I'm guarding a post player on the other end, people do not expect me to return the favor on offense (by posting them up). I think people tend to know where I can succeed, and it's not in the post.

I am 6'2 it's actually really simple for me, where I play everybody knows me, there usually are atleast some taller players than me. I am always main ball handler, and that role fits me well, I am good passer, good pick n roll player, and good 1v1 (tbh best player out there, yeseveryone agrees with that)but i really struggle offball. On defense i usually just pick the best player, unless he's really short. I can defend taller guys than me no problem, I have long arms and good vert.

I understand that it's stupid to force stuff to do at which you are not good on court.

Sometimes happens to me, at 6'0''. I don't really mind because I like to play center, although playing point guard is oftentimes more fun to play. I just play whatever position I have to play, and I don't especially care as I just like to play basketball. I'll play PG, SG, SF, PF, or C, it doesn't matter much to me.

Do some work on the perimeter, then bang your way in the post, just do it anyways, make them all pay. It's still retar ded how you're the best ball handler yet they don't let the best ball handler handle the ball

**** em and get yours .end of story. these guys arent your friends. not your family. not your loved ones. they are random dudes you play with at a park. if you wanna create off the dribble, or shoot a 3, or whatever, do it.

i know that feel bro, big time.. best advice:

hit the boards hard. if you grab a board, dont look for a teammate, if its a defensive rebound, bring the ball up and try to create. if its a offensive rebound, do whatever the **** you want because YOU EARNED THAT BOARD BABY.

hit the boards hard. if you grab a board, dont look for a teammate, if its a defensive rebound, bring the ball up and try to create. if its a offensive rebound, do whatever the **** you want because YOU EARNED THAT BOARD BABY.

Right on. Sometimes I fall into that void of leaking out during defensive board opportunities and "dropping back" during offensive board opportunities. I need to consciously remind myself to get on the boards because my rebounding keys the entire game. My favorite thing about defensive boards is the fact that it allows me to get out and push the tempo as I see fit. I hate when a rebound is grabbed and it's followed by an unnecessary clear out and hesitation before an outlet man is hit. I love boarding and forcing others to match my pace.

Meanwhile, my secret motivation for attacking the offensive boards is the rare possibility of a ball coming off the rim just right, allowing for a tip slam. As a byproduct, attacking the offensive boards those other 49 out of 50 times I don't tip dunk makes me more of a threat.

I have to say I am one of the stereo typers. I'm 5'9" with short arms and I play with 15-20 guys every week and two or three of those guys are domanant rebounders. We have several guys who are over 6'4" and were gaurds in highschool. The problem is when these guys play gaurd its pretty hard to win because the other teams out rebound and end up getting lots of points off rebounds